I have an aquaintance who says I-rack and I-ran, my opinions on that were also not especially welcomed.
I'm not much for the Bible but I'm wondering how well it went for this Soloman fella. I suspect there were those who resented his knowledge and sharing thereof.

mark

Today is the first day of the rest of your life, Make the most of it...kb

So, for the record people, even though it spoils Mr. Seinfeld's joke, it's CLIT-er-is and, to return to my main (pre-digressive) point, PLETH-er-uh), but so anyhow, yeah, I hear it so often that I don't feel like a Mr. S. Pants anymore when I say it. Maybe I'm just hanging out with people with better vocabularies or something, but I swear I'm hearing it everywhere.)

Ranger wrote:How many of you true Finns out there wince when you hear people mispronounce "sauna"?

Just for the record, Ranger, I too put all 3 syllables in sauna, not being a Finn but having studied Finnish, and following the rule that a foreign word carries its native pronunciation. And your original query did address "you true Finns" so that should kibósh condescension claims.

Fwiw I also wince when I hear "eye-raq" and "eye-ran", on the basis that the dipthong we use in English to say I is foreign to most if not all other languages that use the same letter. Cheers...

Ranger, I applaud your statements. I have found this site to be obstinately obstinate about their views. This hauteur, in my opinion, smacks of those who are afraid of being wrong. I think we must agree that there is the correct way according to whatever language one is trying to learn, and there are the other words that we may use, mainly in speaking that are just acceptable.

And believe me, this is the place for sensible people, so don't leave.

Mawmawsandy, you open your mouth in wisdom and the teaching of kindness is on your tongue. Thank you.

Now if you would, please pass the linguistic biscuits and explain to me the origins of the seductive and multi-flavored Southern Drawl. Someone once told me it began with the original British colonists who simply relaxed their jaws and slowed their speech in the oppressive heat and humidity. Maybe it was Pecos Bill.

Just for the record, Ranger, I too put all 3 syllables in sauna, not being a Finn but having studied Finnish, and following the rule that a foreign word carries its native pronunciation.

Well, all of us have been mispronouncing English words all along then.

Brazilian dude

--true, which recalls Frank's point about words like message. Foreign is the operative word, and how to define that... aye, there's the rub. I believe the official ruling is that the imported word has to reside in its new linguistic lair for 563 years, seven months and 15 seconds before it gets to forget its chequered past.

As for Iraq + Iran = Irate, it reminds me of the plan to combine Dallas and Fort Worth into a single urban entity; what would they call it? "Worthless!" [duck]